Little Sister
by trillion42
Summary: Fem!Merlin. A series of one-shots when Merlin is the knights' and Arthur's "little sister." Based off my one-shot "She's Our Little Sister!" No slash, but fluff. Mostly will be humor, with some angst and h/c on the side. Will be updated regularly (hopefully). Featuring Gwaine, Leon, Percival, Elyan, and Arthur acting like older brothers!
1. Merlin LIKES Someone?

"I don't know Gwen! I really like him, but I don't think he likes me back."

Arthur paused hearing this. He glanced around the corner, into the laundry room, to find two maids sitting there. One being his personal servant, Merlin.

He first met Merlin a few months ago, when she was nothing more than a smart-ass peasant and himself and arrogant pratty prince. She was odd, Arthur had noted. Instead of a dress she wore trousers and tunic like a man, and there was something about her that just didn't meet the eye. He hated her at first, but in the months to come, after saving each other's lives a couple times, the two had begrudgingly become friends. The prince, however, was starting to feel some else for her, something he couldn't put his finger on. It wasn't love – or maybe it was. He wasn't sure. He almost felt this way about Morgana, who was like a sister to him.

"I'm sure he likes you, Merlin. He did save you from a griffin," Gwen said back, soothingly. "Like you were the damsel in distress and he was your knight in shining armor. And we all know how those stories end." Morgana's maid raised her eyebrows in a suggestive way.

Merlin sighed. "But he said I was his friend. I've been friendzoned!"

"Friendzoned?'

"I made it up. It's when a man thinks you're just another one of the guys. It'll never amount to anything! What am I going to do?" She put her heads in her hands.

Arthur paused, wide eyes. Merlin liked someone?

"I'm sure he'll come around."

"But what if he _doesn't_? I really like him, Gwen. _Really like him_."

Arthur would've laughed. But he didn't. Merlin _really liked _someone. That was…..interesting. He felt an emotion rise in his chest. It wasn't jealousy. Or possessiveness. It was anger. Who dared to make Merlin feel so sad?

"I know, Merlin, I know. But I still think he likes you."

"Thanks, Gwen, you're a true friend."

Arthur hid in a small alcove off of the corridor. Merlin and Gwen walked out, the latter still soothing the first. Arthur had heard enough to know two things.

One: whoever this is better not mess with Merlin, or he would be missing some body parts in the near future.

And two: If anyone _dared _to try and get near his maidservant, without his approval, he would bite their head off.

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**A/N: Hellos everyone! Welcome to "Little Sister," a series of one-shots based off my other one-shot "She's Our Little Sister!" I know this one is short, but I'll try and make the other ones longer (and hopefully more funny; I love humor). I'll update this regularly (if not, blame my parents. Or my teachers. Or my sports teams.) **

**Review? (pleeeeeease?)**


	2. Fun With Bubble Wrap

**Setting: Modern AU-land.**

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"Gwaine." Merlin poked her friend at his nose as he slept. "Gwaine, wake up." He simply rolled over on the couch, facing away from her. "Gwaine. Gwaine. Gwaine, wake up. Gwaine, wake up. GwaineGwaineGwaineGwaineGwaineGwaineG-"

"Alright! I'm up!" The brown-haired man glared at the younger girl. She smiled sweetly.

He loved Merlin, he really did – in the brotherly sort of way – but, seriously, couldn't a guy sleep off his hangover in peace? Sure, the girl had always _tried _(she really did) to be quiet when he napped, but somehow she eventually woke him up. Sometimes he regretting inviting her to be one of his roommates (there was six of them all renting a big old house and Merlin was the only girl).

Then he remembered that life would be a whole lot more boring without her here.

"What?" he asked, rubbing the tiredness out of his eyes.

She smiled again. "I. Found. Bubble. Wrap!" She waited for his reaction.

Gwaine laid down again and pretended to be going back to sleep. Bubble wrap? Seriously, Merlin?

"Gwaaaaaaaaaaaine, wake up. It's not just bubble wrap, but giant bubble wrap. You can even walk on it!" Sounded tempting.

Not.

He waited for Merlin to walk away, but she continued staring at him (he could sense that with his eyes closed). He pushed down the guilt that bubbled in his chest.

"Please?"

Oh, she was using the "I'm cute" voice. Only some had been rumored to deny it. Well played Merlin, well played.

"Alright," Gwaine sighed as he sat up and swung his legs to the floor. Merlin did a little happy dance before grabbing him by the hand and pulling him outside, where the giant, green bubble wrap was already laid out on the grass.

"Ready?" she asked, bare feet just on the edge of the plastic. Where did she find all this packaging material? It truly was huge, the bubbles being bigger than a baseball. And it was wide too, almost seven feet by seven feet.

Gwaine kicked off his shoes and took her hand. They gingerly stepped on. The next few minutes were filled with loud popping noises as they stomped all over it.

The older of the two collapsed after five minutes. "This should be a sport," Gwaine panted. "It's great exercise."

"C'mon, Gwaine!" Merlin said, still dancing wildly on the plastic. "We're not even half way done!"

"Give an old man a rest, sweetheart." Gwaine wasn't that much older than her – just three years – but that didn't stop him from complaining that the eighteen year old was giving him gray hairs with all this excitement.

Gwaine had met Merlin a few years back, actually when she was still in eighth grade. She had been working for one his best friends, Arthur Pendragon, at the time as his housecleaner. She lived with her old uncle, Gauis, but they were financially struggling. Gwaine had offered to help them a couple times – so had Arthur, Leon, Percival, Elyan, Lancelot, Gwen, and Morgana – but as she put it, "Emrys's don't accept charity." When Gauis, her only family left, died, her being only sixteen, Gwaine offered to let her stay at the Camelot House – the name of the place they rented – for free. She refused at first, until – after an argument that involved many death threats and blackmailing – he agreed to let her pay at least for the house's groceries. So, in the end, Merlin lived with him, Arthur, Leon, Percival, and Elyan (Lancelot and Gwen had their own place _together _and Morgana lived with her sister).

"I'm going to pop them all if you don't get back out here!" she called, waking him from his thoughts.

"Oh, no you won't!" He ran back at the bubble wrap, trying to find at least one unpopped bubble. In the end, he just blindly stomped around.

Merlin looked down at her feet, slowing slightly. "I think we got them all."

Gwaine nodded. "Yeah." He put his foot down. There was a pop. "Or not."

Merlin smiled, something she did a lot. "I guess we should clean this up."

It didn't take long; all they did was roll it up and take it inside the house. Gwaine watched, amused, as Merlin struggled with pushing it in the already over stuffed garbage can. She got it in eventually, after nearly falling a couple times because she had pushed so hard.

"Now what?"

Gwaine shrugged. It was a Saturday afternoon and they had time to kill. "Movie?"

She nodded and headed into the sitting room, already pushing a disc in the DVD player when her friend walked in.

"_Finding Nemo_?"

"Yep." She sat next to him on the couch, curling into his side. Her head rest on his shoulder. "It's a great movie."

"But you watch it, _all the time_."

"Your point?"

Gwaine rolled his eyes and put an arm around her. Merlin was still a kid at heart. And that was what he loved about her. He loved his little sister.

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**A/N: Helloers everyone! I'm not sure if this one made any sense or really was interesting but whatever! Have you ever jumped on giant bubble wrap? It's fun. My brother and I did that (yes, that was the inspiration for this chapter). **

**And also, daaaaaaaaaaaamn guys! You're great! 22 follows in one day? I think that's the best I've ever gotten on a first chapter. Thanks!**

**Oh and big thank you to grayember13, Alissa21, and Joppew for being the first reviewers! Magical penguins for you!**

**Sooooo...um. Yeah.**

**P.S. I will take requests for this. Really, just leave an idea in a review or PM me and I'll try and write it. **


	3. Run, You Fool!

**A/N: This was requested by Guest. It's Merdred (Merlin/Mordred). It's kinda off of "She's Our Little Sister!"**

**Oh, and before I forget, to youwannabekate, I'm working o your request at this moment. It might be up in a few hours, minutes, or days.**

* * *

_Emrys!_ Mordred screamed in Merlin's mind, him enjoying this battle of tongue and teeth. When they snogged, _they snogged_.

_EMRYS! I LOVE YOU!_

Even with her eyes closed, Merlin rolled her eyes. _Stop moaning; we're not even doing __**it**__. _

_I can't help it, I – Ahhhhh, EMRYS! EMRYS!_

_ Never pegged you for a screamer._

_ EMRYS! I LOVE YOU!_

_ Love you too, Mordy. _

Mordred push her against the wall and lifted her up a bit – an invitation for her to wrap her legs around his waist. She complied happily.

_Eeeeeeeeeeemrys!_

_ Mordreeeeeeeeeed, _she mocked.

Just as Merlin was shoving her hand up his shirt, there was a small sound from behind them.

"Ahem," coughed Arthur, the unofficial Knights of the Round Table flanking him. Merlin slowly untangled herself from Mordred.

"Hi," she said. Mordred shuffled awkwardly.

Arthur nodded in return, but he was glowering too hard at the druid. The knights all had the same murderous looks on their faces. They all pulled out their swords.

Mordred took a step back. Merlin threw him a look. "Run, you fool!"

He didn't need to be told twice.


	4. Sir Romulus

**Note: this is before Mordred came to Camelot, so Merlin was single and ready to mingle.**

* * *

Merlin, as everyone knew, was a very friendly person. Almost everyone was attracted by her charm. No one was surprised when the new knight, Romulus, took a fancy to her.

He first spotted her as she sharpened Arthur's sword. He sat down next to her and started up a flirtatious conversation, which had the servant girl giggling by the end.

Unfortunately, his royal pratness walked in, and Romulus hopped up abruptly, giving Merlin a wink as he strutted out. She blushed.

The next time they met was at training. Per usual, Merlin was doing simple tasks, running this over to them, tossing a handful of grass at Gwaine when he good-naturedly teased her. When a knight was injured, she was supposed to attend to them (she was technically the physician's apprentice). Romulus smirked as he called her over.

"Can you heal this cut for me?" he asked, pulling up his chainmail to reveal a very well-muscled arm. Merlin flushed.

"Sure." She got out her bandages and antiseptic (apparently a physician's assistant always carried them). Gulping, she pressed the pad to his cut.

"Hmm…stings a little," the knight noted with a smile.

"Yeah, it will do that." She wrapped a bandage around it. "Done. Don't get too chopped up out there."

He smiled charmingly. "For you, I'll try not to." And he was off.

Little conversations like that lead to bigger ones, which led spending time together. After about a week, Romulus decided to kiss her. A month after that, they were going steady.

Merlin's friends knew she was seeing someone. With a little spy work, they found out who it was. Romulus seemed nice enough, so they let him slide.

Of course, that's what Romulus wanted.

A few weeks after Romulus walked into Merlin's life, the unofficial Knights of the Round Table had gathered outside Arthur's chambers, hoping to surprise Merlin when they knew she would walk out. One of the many perks of being Merlin's friend; she jumping easily and her reactions were fun to watch.

Merlin, however, did not appear from the chambers within. She ended up coming from behind, almost crashing into Percival. She apologized quickly and scurried away, head down the whole time. Looks of confusion were thrown around the group of friends. Merlin always stopped and chatted, no matter how busy she was. Something was up.

They pondered it for a while, thinking of possibilities, when Gwaine suddenly remembered they had training (not a formal one, just one with them. Sometimes, the Knights of the Round Table just needed to bash each other with swords for the fun of it) and Arthur would be expecting them.

Without words they set off the field, where Arthur was, and Merlin, ever his shadow. She still had her head down, as before, and wouldn't meet anyone's eye.

"Alright," said the king. "Training. Let's start with some basics. Merlin, my sword –"

The servant rushed forward with it, but tripped on her way. She sat there for a moment, then slowly stood. Something was wrong. When she usually fell, Merlin would laugh then hop to her feet as if she _didn't _just prove how clumsy she was. Yes, something was wrong.

"You alright, Merlin?" asked Arthur.

She glanced up, then quickly look away. "Fine."

Looks of doubtfulness were thrown around. Gwaine stepped forward. She flinched.

"Merlin?"

No answer.

Gwaine took another step towards her and put a hand under her chin, forcing her to face up. Everyone gasped.

Big purple bruises were on her left cheek, and all were in the shape of fingers. She stepped back, eyes wide, and ran.

One thought was running in unison through the men's heads.

"Romulus."

Who else could it be?

Heading in the direction of where she was going, they followed in pursuit. They found themselves at the armory.

"What did I tell you?!" a harsh voice asked. There was a slapping noise and gasp. "You idiot! I told you not to tell!"

That was all they needed to hear. Wordlessly, they ran in, swords out and faces angry. Romulus stood to one side of the room, Merlin clutching her face in front of him. Somehow, Leon was the first to react.

He was over there in no time flat, punching the newest knight in the face. The others soon joined him.

"You bastard!"

"_How dare you?!_"

"You disgust me!"

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

Percival, not one for words, spat on him.

Panting slightly, Arthur went full king mode. "Sir Romulus," he said to the huddled mess on the floor. "I'm stripping you of your knighthood."

A whimper was heard in return.

Death glares, sent to the now un-knight, they turned to Merlin.

"You alright?" asked Gwaine.

"Yeah," she breathed. "Thanks."

They all nodded. "How long had that been going on?" questioned Elyan.

Her jaw tightened. "A few weeks."

"_Mer_lin, you idiot, why in the seven hells didn't you tell us?" Arthur glared at Romulus again.

She sighed. "I thought I could handle it."

"Just…tell us next time, if something like this happens again, alright?" the king huffed out. He was still angry that someone had hurt Merlin.

She nodded.

"Now, c'mon," said Gwaine. He placed an arm around her shoulder and led her away, the others trailing behind. "Let's get away from this scum."

Romulus was left there.

Dammit, he knew he shouldn't have messed with their little sister!

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**A/N: Hey bros! This was requested by youwannabekate (I hope I wrote it to your pleasing). So...umm...yeah! (I never have any idea of what to say at this point).**

**Thanks for reviewing, favoriting, and following everyone! Unicorns for you!**

**Until next time...**


	5. Leon

Leon was walking towards the armory when he heard it. It was just a small sound, something that most people would ignore, but to him it was a heartbreaking noise. He rounded the corner and found himself face-to-face with a red-eyed Merlin.

She tried to pass him without looking up, but he grabbed her arm. "Merlin?"

"Hi, Leon."

"Merlin, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." He looked at her tear-streaked face incredulously.

"Merlin, are you alright?"

She looked down again. "Fine. Just some people in this castle are bitches."

"What happened?" he asked again.

"Nothing. Just some of the maids make fun of me, that's all."

"Why would they do that?"

"No reason."

"_Merlin_-"

"It's because I'm friends with knights, okay?" She sighed. "I think I'll go home now."

She made to leave again, but he spun her around and forced her to face him. "What do they say about you?"

She shook her head, but with his inquiring look and fast hold on her arms, she answered.

She gulped. "They ask me if- if I'm 'involved' with all of you – if you know what I mean – because they say only sluts hang around men all the time. They tell me that you guys only put up with me because Arthur would bite your heads off if you didn't. This one maid, a really nasty one named Janet; she told me that you all hate me and talk rather loudly of how you all want me dead." She started to cry.

The knight's eyes widened at this. "Merlin! You know none of those things are true!"

"It hurts, though, to have half the castle think I'm a slut or worse."

"Merlin." Leon placed both hands on her shoulders. "Nobody thinks that except those maids. I bet everyone knows that they're lying."

"But-" She blinked back a few more tears. "Do you guys hate me? Do you only put up with me because of Arthur?"

"How could you think that?"

She looked up at him with big blue eyes. He suddenly did something that surprised them both.

He reached out and hugged her.

It was rather awkward at first, mostly due to the fact that he was wearing rough chainmail, but, in a way, it was nice. After a moment or two, Merlin wrapped her arms around him as well.

"Thanks Leon," she murmured into his shoulder.

"Anytime," he muttered back. "Anytime."

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**A/N: Hi everyone! Well, this was requested by Potter-Who-Sherlock-98 who wanted a brotherly Leon moment (wierd thing was, I was already planning something like it). Well, that's that.**

**Thanks to all those we reviewed! I hope good things come your way!**


	6. Brownies

Arthur and Gwaine crouched in the bushes as Percival, Leon, and Elyan did the same in another set of shrubbery. They had really messed up this time. _Really _messed up.

It had started with a simple prank, and they had meant no harm from it. But the problem was that they pranked _Merlin_. Last time they did that, Gwaine had lost an eyebrow.

So, they hid in the bushes, fearing for their lives. What they did not expect was a sweet voice calling out to them.

"Hey, guys! I made brownies!"

They all stared at each other. Merlin probably was still angry, but her brownies were _AMAZING_. So, after a few minutes of serious thinking, they decided that Merlin's brownies were worth dying for.

Being braver than the rest, Gwaine stepped out of the bushes. The rest followed.

"Hey guys!" Merlin smiled at them as she held out a tray. "Want to try? They're still hot."

They all glanced at each other. Percival tried one first.

He nodded his head. "Pretty good."

Seeming that it was safe, the rest grabbed one of the treats. Merlin smiled widely as they munched.

"Damn, these are good!" said Arthur. "But there's something different about them…"

"Yeah," muttered Elyan. "Like it's not chocolate…"

Leon, the smart one of the group, spat his out. Merlin frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Like you don't know!" he accused. The rest spat out what was in their mouths.

She pouted. "Were they really that bad?"

Arthur caught on to what was happening. "You filled them with Ex-Lax!"

She rolled her eyes and laughed. "Really? Would I be that childish?"

"Yes!" was the unanimous answer.

She pouted again. "I'm hurt. You really think I would do that?"

They looked at her face, which looked so earnest and innocent, that they all melted. "You're right," said Gwaine, ruffling her hair. "We're sorry."

She beamed at all of them. "Great! Now will you try my brownies again?"

An agreeable response came from the men, and she handed them more of the bakery items, this time from the bottom of the tray.

They smiled one last time at her before raising them to their lips. Merlin took a step back. "Enjoy," she said, winking at them.

"What-"

_Bang!_

Arthur's brownie exploded in his face.

_Pop!_

Gwaine's and Elyan's did too.

_Ping! _

Leon's and Percival's.

They all turned to Merlin, who was smirking very much like Arthur's sister, Morgana.

"I only have one thing to say," she said. She threw the rest of the brownies at them, which also exploded. "Suck it, bitches!"

* * *

**A/N: I want to do that so badly. Just imagine, exploding brownies in people's faces!**

**Well, that's all I got to say, except...**

**Thanks guys! Just thanks for reviewing, following, and favoriting! Non-exploding brownies for you! **


	7. He Wasn't Laughing Now

Arthur used to play with women quite a lot. Servants, nobles, or even once, a foreigner. He kissed them, told them he loved them and took them to bed. After that, he would rudely dismiss them and their feelings. He had liked to play like that.

Afterwards, he would always laugh.

But he wasn't laughing now, as he wiped away Merlin's tears when a young noble did it to her.

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**A/N: Short, I know. But I did all of this on my iPod, including posting it (you can do that, apparently). **

**And thanks again to all of you guys that reviewed, fav-ed, and followed! Magic cookies to you! **


	8. Big Sisters

**Okay, this is in the modern AU, but it's when they're young teenagers. Long story...but let's just say Merlin just doesn't have big brothers...**

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Merlin was really not looking forward to the school dance. She was in sixth grade, had no date (or friends for that matter…), but was compelled to go out of school pride (plus there would be free food).

So, that was how she ended up standing awkwardly in the corner, watching as kids from sixth, seventh, and eighth grade danced. Actually, the kids in her grade, sixth, weren't dancing. They were just sitting at a table, gossiping. She didn't dare join them. They were her main tormentors.

Sighing, she contemplated calling her uncle so he could pick her up, when she noticed a group of girls was walking over to her.

All of them were in eighth grade, she knew that. What did they want with her?

"Hi," said one, probably the leader. "I'm Morgana."

"Gwen," said another, smiling.

"Morgause!" the blonde called.

"Freya." The girl spoke so quietly, that Merlin almost missed it.

"I'm Nimueh!"

"We were wondering if you'd like to dance with us?" asked Morgana. "You look pretty bored over here."

Merlin bit her lip and shot a glance at her tormentors/classmates. Would it be worth it?

"Sure," she said. "I'm Merlin, by the way."

They all smiled. Gwen grabbed her arm and pulled her out on the dance floor.

They all bopped to the music, Merlin watching. She felt her classmates' eyes on her. Nope, now she wasn't going to dance.

"C'mon, dance!" screamed Nimueh over "We Are Never Getting Back Together."

Merlin shook her head. Morgause fixed her a look and her eyes widened. She glared over at the sixth graders, who seemed to wither.

"Dance!" called Freya. Merlin thought the girl was shy and quiet, but was proved wrong as she watched her do an expressive dance that involved wiggling her hips, waving her arms, screaming along with the music, doing this all with her eyes closed.

Merlin didn't dance for at least three songs. But then, all the girls squealed in unison.

_"I'm gonna pop some tags_._"_

Merlin smiled and started singing along. All the other girls whooped and joined in.

_"Only got twenty dollars in my pocket."_

Merlin then actually allowed herself to sway with the music. Morgana smiled at her and started a dance quite like the one Freya had been doing before. And so did Gwen. Then Morgause. Then Nimueh. (Freya had been already doing it.)

_"I'm – I'm hunting, looking for a come up."_

They all screamed the last verse, Merlin not realizing that she had joined the craziness.

_"This is f**king awesome."_

It was "Thrift Shop," that universally loved song.

Merlin danced quite a bit after that, especially to "Party Rock," "Sexy and I Know It," "Apache," "YMCA," "Carry On," "Sweet Home Alabama," "I Love Rock 'N Roll," "Gangnam Style," and…well, this list could go on for a while.

"Hey!" Morgana called. "I just put in a request!"

"For what?" Gwen called back.

She smiled (it almost looked like a smirk). "You'll see."

And they did. "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey.

Now, this is where Merlin got a surprise. Morgause wrapped an arm around her shoulder as Nimueh did the same on the other side of her. All of them were linked by arms. They made a circle.

_"Just a small town girl…"_

They sang along. But the best was when the "don't stop believing!" part started.

The DJ brought over a microphone. He held it out to Morgana, Gwen, Nimueh, and Freya, who all shook their heads. But Morgause took it, singing loud and proud.

Merlin was still mumbling along, smiling as the "hold on to that feeling" part came up. Seriously, these girls were so nice and they made her feel so special. Those thoughts changed a bit bitter, though, as a microphone was shoved in her face. 

"C'mon, Merlin, sing!"

So she did. Her new group of friends cheered.

Her new group of friends. Merlin liked the sound of that.

* * *

"That was so much fun," Morgana said as they all swayed back and forth to the slow music. The night had really slowed down and the dance was ending. Merlin actually wished it wasn't.

"I can't wait for the next one," said Gwen dreamily. "I hope Lancelot asks me to dance next time."

"What about Arthur?" teased Morgause. Gwen turned red.

"Don't bring him up!"

Merlin had no idea what they were talking about, not being in eighth grade and all, so she kept her mouth shut and just smiled.

Freya gasped and brought a phone out of her dress pocket. "I got to go! Bye guys!"

She gave each a quick hug, even Merlin. After that, the other girls left one by one. Soon it was just her and Morgana.

"You _have _to hang out with in school from now on," Morgana demanded in a nice way.

Merlin cocked her head. "Really?"

"Hell, yes! You're so cool! And it's always nice to have a sane friend." Morgana gave a fake psycho smile. "If you hadn't noticed, we're all a bit mad."

Merlin laughed. "I noticed."

Morgana beamed. "In time, though, you'll just be as crazy as us."

Merlin smiled. "Great. I've always wanted to be insane."

Before Morgana could answer, a car horn sounded. Merlin knew it was her uncle.

She made a face. "That's my ride."

Morgana pouted. "Awww, okay. I guess I'll see you in school, right? Remember, you're hanging out with us from now on!"

Merlin smiled again. "I know."

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**A/N: Hellos! Sorry, I just came back from my school dance and...well, you see where that led. I know it's not the best (I actually have an excuse; I was dancing for the past three hours straight. ****_In heels_****.)...but whatever. This chapter was inspired by my friends.**

**Okay, well, that's that. I have to go update other stories. And work on requests. And stuff like that.**

**And thanks for reviewing, fav-ing, and following guys! May the magics be ever in your favor!**


	9. The Date Part 1

**Well, this is back in the Modern AU and was requested by smartipantx (and I hope it's to your liking. If not, I can rewrite it, or something). Smileys for you! :D**

* * *

"Hey Prat," Merlin said with a smile.

"Merlin," he choked out. He looked her up and down. "What are you wearing?"

Her smile brightened and she gestured down to the blue, very grip-y and a little showy dress. "Like it? I got it yesterday. I'm just seeing how it fits now."

Arthur nodded, his eyes trailing up and down her again. When did she look so…grown up?

"What's the occasion?"

Her smile faltered. "Just going out with a friend."

He raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

She nodded sincerely. "Really!"

He gave her one last and walked down stairs.

* * *

"Gwen, you have to help me!"

_"What? What did you mess up this time….oh, wait this about a boy. Mordred? He finally asked you out?"_

"Yes! And I need help!"

_"With make-up and stuff? Sure, I'll help and I'll bring 'Gana and Morgs along too."_

"You're a live saver, Gwen. But I'm still scared."

_"Why? You've been friends for years."_

"I just wonder….why did he ask me out?"

_"He likes you. He has ever since he met you back in eighth grade."_

"Yeah, but…."

_"Don't worry. When's the date?"_

"Tonight, eight o'clock. At that new place that's really fancy."

_"Ooooooh, he's trying to impress you!"_

"Gwen!"

_"Whaaaaat? Anyways, I'll be there in soon. Gotta make you all pretty for Mordred!"_

Merlin laughed. "Thanks Gwen. See you in twenty." She hung up.

Merlin sighed. Tonight, tonight! She was going on a date with Mordred! She felt like screaming!

Instead of screaming, though, she pulled her new blue dress down from the hanger and unzipped the back. After taking her clothes off, she stepped into it, liking how it gripped her. Mordred would appreciate this dress.

Merlin smiled. Mordred. She remembered when she first met him.

_"Oh, sorry!" called the black-haired boy that bumped into her. Her books scattered across the ground, and he very kindly helped Merlin pick them up._

_ "I'm Mordred," he said rather shyly, when they both stood up. He was staring deeply into her eyes, and stared to fidget. Merlin thought she heard him mumble the word "beautiful," or something like that before he spoke again. "I'm new here."_

_ The girl smiled. "I'm Merlin."_

_ His face seemed to light up when he heard her name. "Merlin. That's a nice name. I like it."_

_ Merlin blushed. "Your name is quite interesting, too. I've never met a Mordred."_

_ "What class do you have next, Merlin?"_

_ "Biology. You?"_

_ He made a face. "Algebra."_

_ She nodded sympathetically. "Yeah, math sucks. Really, will I ever need to know what 'x' equals in real life?"_

_ He laughed. "Yeah." _

_ The bell rang. _

_ "I got to go," Merlin said, rather reluctantly. _

_ Mordred seemed downcast, too. "Yeah, but I'll catch you later, right?"_

_ Merlin smiled and walked away from him, pretending not to hear him say in a low and infatuated voice, "Merlin."_

Back in present day, Merlin decided to show the men of her house her new dress.

* * *

"Men, we have an important mission," Arthur called out. Everyone's head turned as the blonde entered the room.

"What?" asked Gwaine.

Arthur didn't have to explain. Merlin followed him downstairs.

"Hey guys!" she said. Pure chaos followed that.

"Merlin, what the hell are you wearing?"

"Daaaaaaaaamn, girl!"

"Get thee to a nunnery!" (That was Leon, the Shakespeare nerd.)

"Take that off right now! You're only seventeen!"

Merlin was taken aback a bit, but smiled, thinking they were compliments of how much older she looked. "You like it?"

Similar answers as before were heard, but the men's words were cut short when the doorbell rang. 

Before they knew it, their house was filled with girlish squeals, lots of long hair, and mentions of make-up.

"Merlin, you look so _hot_! Mordred will love it!"

"That boy will be eating out of the palm of your hand."

"It's so pretty! You're so pretty!"

Yes, Gwen, Morgana, and Morgause had arrived. The men retreated to kitchen.

"I take it that – " Percival inclined his head. "Was our mission? To stop _that._"

Arthur nodded. "That's not the worst. I think something bad might happen to her."

"Bad how?" asked Elyan.

Gwaine seemed to understand. "Just imagine a girl. Alone. With a guy."

Leon rolled his eyes. "Like a date? It's a pretty common thing."

"Let me rephrase that," said the brunette. "Imagine _Merlin _alone with a guy."

All eyes widened.

* * *

**A/N: Don't worry, this is only part one. Part two will be up in a day or so and there will be more big-brotherness in it, too. (I have to be up at 5 a.m. tomorrow, so cut me some slack for today.)**

**And don't worry you Merdred fans...Mordred will in this more from now on! (I mean the whole fic)**

**Oh, yeah, somebody asked if I would turn the last chapter into a story. I was just wondering...what do you mean? Like an actual story? 'Cause I'm up to that. (Sorry, I didn't respond to that review directly; I'm very socially awkward and not good with stuff like that. Sorry!)**

** And thanks to you guys for reviewing, fav-ing, and following! You people really make my day! Unicorns to you!**


	10. Best Friends Say

"Well…" Gwaine said nonchalantly. "It could have been worse."

Merlin glowered, unamused.

What they thought would be a harmless prank on Arthur turned out to be more of a…misdemeanor. It had earned them a night in the dungeons.

"Oh, c'mon, Merls," the rogue knight said, clapping her on the shoulder, hoping the use of the nickname would ease the tension.

She shook her head and rolled her eyes, replying sarcastically. "I hate you."

He gripped his heart, acting like he was hurt. "Ah, that stings."

She suddenly stifled a giggle as he sat down next to her on the dirty floor. "I still can't believe Arthur's face, though…"

The knight laughed. "Well, it's not every day the king of Camelot gets run over by a couple dozen chickens."

Merlin cracked a smile, but tried to suppress it. "Shut up. Those stupid birds could have scratched his eyes out."

"A crime punishable by life in the dungeons," Gwaine chimed, a smug smile on his face. "And we only get one night. Always knew Princess had a soft spot for us."

The maidservant snorted. "They do say friends will bail you out of jail."

"They say _close _friends sit next to you in jail," the rogue knight said, elbowing her. "And they say, 'Wow, we messed up'."

"And _I _say that _best _friends rot with you in jail." Merlin shoved him back, with a slight smile. "And _they _say, 'Let's do it again!' "

Evil grins split across their faces.

* * *

**A/N: *gasp* This isn't the date! What f*ckery is this?**

**Sorry guys, I had MAJOR writer's block for "The Date Part 2" so I wrote this quickly for no apparent reason.**

**I must really annoy you guys, huh? First, I write a pointless one-shot, then update another story, then when you expect the date - this! You can yell at me if you want...*hangs head in shame***

**Well, let the you yelling at me begin! Advance towards me brethren! (That's "Come at me bro" Shakespeare style!)**


	11. The Date Part 2

"Thanks for taking me out, Mordred," Merlin said, smiling nervously as she sat across from him in the restaurant.

"My p-pleasure!" he all but squeaked out. It wasn't that he was nervous – wait, that was exactly what it was. And it did _not _help him that Merlin's getup was a bit intimidating. He gulped and tried to say something else. "Your hair looks nice tonight! Not that it doesn't always look nice, I was just saying that-" he rambled for a bit.

In truth, Merlin found it adorable. She let herself flush a little at the compliment and made a mental note to tell her friends that their hard work had paid off.

_Earlier:_

_ "It – just – won't – curl!" Gwen cried out in exasperation as she flung the still hot curling-iron on the floor. Merlin winced in sympathy to the inanimate object._

_ "Let's try braiding it and see if it curls," Morgana suggested, her hands already in Merlin's raven locks. _

_ Morgause rolled her eyes at her sister. "You're doing it wrong. You have to French braid it."_

_ She then proceeded to show Morgana how to do a proper braid, and a little later, they undid it. It fell down in long curls._

_ "Be-yoo-ti-ful!" squealed Gwen, rushing up and giving her friend a big hug. _

Currently, Mordred was trying (and failing) to say how he liked her hair.

"…I'm not saying that I didn't like your hair before, it's just that-" he silenced when she gave him a look. He cleared his throat. "Overkill?"

She raised her eyebrows in a "yep" kind of way. He hung his head.

"So," she said, reaching across the table to place her hand on his. "What do you – Ah!"

Merlin retracted her hand as something wet hit it. She and Mordred looked around, finding only normal restaurant goers and some oddly places hats in the bushes.

"What the hell?" Mordred asked. Merlin shrugged.

* * *

"She's going for his hand! She's going for his hand!" Gwaine hissed at his friends from behind some bushes outside the restaurant. Quickly thinking, Elyan stood up, grabbed an olive off of a passing by waiter's tray, and threw it at Merlin's hand. They all smirked in success when they watched her hand retract.

"That was close," commented Arthur as they once again were all crouched in the bushes.

"Again, what would be so bad about Merlin dating?" Leon asked, probably for the millionth time. Out of the group, he was the only one who was okay with this situation, after he got over the shock of course.

"It's Merlin," Gwaine explained, as Percival nodded in the background. "She's not allowed to date."

"Why?"

"'Cause we say so."

Leon shook his head and poked at the ground, muttering about overprotective guard dogs and Merlin not being a little kid anymore.

"He's going for her hand this time!" Arthur suddenly yelled (which he did silently, of course, because they were spying).

Gwaine picked a stick and threw it, ducking down when Mordred looked over to see where the random pick of wood that hit him in the head came from.

They all (yes, even Leon) snickered when they heard him ask Merlin if she had seen where it had come from. This was classic.

* * *

"So, after all these years, why ask me out now?" Merlin asked with a quirked eyebrow.

Mordred blushed. "Umm…"

She laughed. "Relax, Mordy. It's just me. We're friends."

The boy looked down. Taking a breath, then gulping immediately afterwards, he opened his mouth, summoning courage. "Well, about that, what if we were more than friends?"

Merlin was silent for a full second. Slowly, she smiled. "I'd like that."

Mordred released a breath that he hadn't noticed he was holding. "Really? Because, Merlin, ever since I met you, I knew-"

Before he could get another word out, however, a waiter, which suspiciously looked like Gwaine, tripped and spilled spaghetti all down his back. The waiter scuttled off quickly, leaving Mordred in the mess without apologizing. Embarrassed, he muttered something about cleaning off and he hurried to the men's room.

* * *

Morgause narrowed her eyes from behind her sunglasses (the good thing about outdoor restaurants; nobody questions you if you wear sunglasses). Of course, as all good friends would do, she, Morgana, and Gwen had gone incognito and spied on Merlin's and Mordred's date. It hadn't been going good, but it wasn't either the girl's or the boy's fault.

It was the fault of some overprotective idiots.

Seriously, Gwaine putting on an apron and a fake mustache was much of waiter disguise. She could totally tell that he had spilled that food on Mordred.

"Girls," she said, inclining her head to where the tops of men's head could be seen. "I think he have to stop an accident before it happens."

"It's already happened," Morgana said. She had realized what was happening as soon as she saw an olive hit Mordred's hand away from Merlin's.

Gwen just shook her head and stood up, removing her head-scarf and sunglasses. She strode over to the men (more like boys) in the bushes. Morgana and Morgause watched in amusement.

Gwen would give them hell.

* * *

In the bush, the grown men were snickering like eleven year olds. Gwaine crouched down by them and got a high-five from everyone.

"Did you see his face?" Elyan asked. Out of the group, he probably wasn't the closest to Merlin, but still felt protective of her when it came to boys.

"I think it was a cross between shock and embarrassment," Leon choked out as he chortled.

"Best. Plan. Ever," Arthur stated. "When he comes back, we have to-"

"Apologize!" a voice hissed. "When he comes back you have to apologize!"

Dread pooled in the bottom of all their stomachs. Looking up slowly, they saw a pissed off Gwen standing there with her hands on her hips and her stance ready to pounce.

"Hi Gwen," Arthur said weakly to his on-off girlfriend. (Currently: off.)

"Unbelievable," she said. "Gwaine, Arthur, I expect this out of you, but Leon, Percy, and Elyan I'm just disappointed in."

"But-" protested Leon, who did not like getting in trouble.

"No buts," Gwen all but snarled. She waved her hand and suddenly Morgana and Morgause were flanking her.

And the next few minutes were filling with pain and humiliation for the men.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ear, that's my ear, Gwen!"

"I need that thing to hear, you know!"

"You can't do this! _Ow!_"

"C'mon, all we did was – shit, that hurts Morgana!"

Percival was the only smart enough to keep his mouth shut as the three women dragged them out by their ears, tugging and twisting them every now and then.

It was just their luck that they caught Merlin's eye. (It actually would've been a feat if they didn't, with the scene they were making). With a look that said "I don't want to know," she turned away and smiled at a red-faced Mordred who was coming back.

Morgana, Morgause, and Gwen let the men glower at him for a second before tugging them off in the other direction.

* * *

"Let me get this straight," Merlin said back at the Camelot House after they apologized and explained. "You sabotaged my date and spilled spaghetti on him?"

Eye cast down, and acting ashamed (they weren't, but if they didn't act like it, Morgause might castrate them) they all nodded.

She glared. "Why?"

Leon muttered something about nunneries and her dress again, while Arthur nudged him in the shoulder to make him shut up.

"We didn't want you to get hurt," the blonde supplied. The rest nodded. (Again, except Leon who muttered some nonsense in Shakespearean.)

"Overprotective clotpoles," she muttered before stalking off.

Mordred was out on the porch waiting for her, no doubt hearing everything. Merlin smiled apologetically before grasping his hands.

"Sorry 'bout them," she said, nodding to where Arthur, Gwaine, Leon, Percival, and Elyan stood spying indiscreetly at the screen door. "I'll get revenge later."

Mordred smiled but it faltered a bit. "I guess this is a no to more dates then?"

"Why would you think that?"

He bit his lip. "Well, those 'overprotective clotpoles' of yours don't seem to like me very much."

Merlin smiled and shook her head. "They'll get use to you to having you around."

"Used to having me around?"

"Yep," was all she said before she pressed her lips against his.

* * *

**A/N: I LIIIIIIIIIVE! Sorry this took so long to get up guys, but every time I sat down to write, I just stared at the screen, expecting words to appear. I know, excuses, excuses. You may all scream at me.**

**Thanks for your continued support while I was being a bad author guys! You guys are probably the best readers I've had so far. *nods* You all now get free air guitars. *showers you with them***

**Sorry if this was bad at all, though. Like I said, my mind was blank while I tried to write it...**

**And I had to add that bit at the end, too. (Only thing I actually _could _think of in the few days it took me to write this. Usually it only takes me a few hours to write...)**


	12. Promise

**Set during season 1 episode 10, "The Moment of Truth."**

* * *

"So you're Prince Arthur Pendragon," a voice drawled. Said Prince turned and saw his maidservant's friend Will standing in the doorway of Hunith's small hut.

Ever since Arthur had arrived in Ealdor, this boy had been nothing but rude to him. Sure, Merlin had explained her friend's actions, and he understood it fully, but what confused Arthur was why Will has decided to talk to him _now_.

"You won't beat Kanen," the farm-boy said bluntly, his eyes looking off into the distance where Merlin sat under a tree with Morgana and Gwen.

"I'll try," Arthur said, his gaze landing on Merlin too.

An odd silence fell between them for a few moments.

"Merlin likes you." At Arthur's face, Will shook his head. "Not like that. But she has a connection with you. A bond, I guess."

Arthur raised an eyebrow. "I highly doubt-"

Rolling his eyes, Will cut him off. "Save it. I know the bond between you two is mutual. She's like a sister to you, isn't she?"

Arthur snorted. "What makes you say that?"

"The Lady Morgana," Will said, nodding in the direction of the young women. "She goes on and on of how protective of her you are, and how you growl when a knight flirts with her. She says you love her." His eyes flashed. "But you're not _in_ love with her, are you?"

"Merlin? In love with Merlin? I don't think so."

Will glared. "Don't talk as if the thought of that is disgusting. She's you're friend."

"She's my maid," Arthur stated, doubting his own words.

"Whatever you say," the farm boy drawled. "You know I don't like you and you sure as hell don't like me, but can you promise me something?"

"What?" the prince, all but snapped. He didn't enjoy this conversation, what with all these accusations that Merlin was his friend. He supposed he _did_ feel a bit protective of her – but wasn't he suppose to? Masters feel protective of their servants. He was her master, and she was his servant. It didn't matter that he held just a small, tiny bit of affection for her. She was still _just_ his servant.

The feeling of disbelief crept onto Arthur as he thought all this.

"Just….watch out for her, will you?" Will asked, breaking the prince out of his thoughts. "She'll be back in Camelot soon, and I won't be there to watch out for her…."

"Of course," Arthur said, his face the epitome of seriousness.

Will nodded as he left. "I'll hold you to that promise, Pendragon."

* * *

**A/N: I know I just updated, but FTW it's 2 a.m. I do what I want. I wrote this when trying to come up with stuff for "The Date Part 2." **

**Well, I just want to put in there that "The Moment of Truth" is my favorite episode. And I know most people make Will out to be the bad guy in most fics, but for some reason I kinda like him. *shrugs***

**I'm going to sleep.**


	13. Dear Clotpoles

_Dear Clotpoles,_

_ So, have you burned the castle down yet? Are you surviving without me? Ha, I bet you're all bored out of your minds without me causing trouble. I mean, who's helping Gwaine with his pranks? Who's helping Percival smuggle cookies out of the kitchen? Who's asking Gwen about her likes and dislikes for Arthur?_

_ Seriously, though, how are you all doing? Gwaine, I hope you haven't been drinking yourself silly (without me…) and Elyan, I hope you've been taking care of that burn on your arm. And Arthur, lay off all the meat, don't want any more holes in your belt, do we? Percival, don't train too hard, I don't want to hear that you've pulled a muscle again and Leon, remember to shave your beard every once in a while; it really isn't that pretty when it's too long. _

_ How's Gauis? I hope at least one of you has remembered to ask if you could help him make his rounds. You know how he is; still insisting he can run around the citadel all day when he really should be doing more seated work. He's really not as young as he used to be. (Don't tell him I said that). _

_ Ealdor's nice this time of year; I wish you could see it. The sun's shinning all day, not a cloud in the sky, and a constant breeze makes it cool enough to work outside without sweating up a storm. Mother's making me work the fields, so you know how that is._

_ Wait. You DON'T know how that is, you little city-raised brats. I'll have to fix that. (Just imagine me making that "evil face," as the prat calls it. I'm making plans for when I drag you out here one day.)_

_ Anyways, Mother says "hi" and wants me to tell you that she'd like to meet you all. (I AM going to drag you all out here one day! I am!) Despite not meeting most of you, though, she's already made you all neckerchiefs that I'm to bring home. She says a man's not a man until he's worn one. (Shut up. I know what you're thinking. I am NOT a man, just because I wear a neckerchief.) And before you all moan and groan about wearing "peasant's clothing" (Ha, just kidding. I know you would never do that.), I want you to know that she's put a lot of work into these, so you better be grateful. _

_ Ugh, I'm going out of my mind here. Visiting my mother is great and all, but I keep getting the feeling of homesickness. Strange, isn't it? I've been in Camelot for only a few years and it already feels like home more than the place I grew up in. _

_ Miss you all. (Well, maybe not King Prat.)_

_ -Merlin_

Merlin, smiled, satisfied with her letter. She pressed a quick kiss to it before putting it in the envelope and sealing it with the wax Pendragon crest that Arthur insisted that she take. Hugging it to her chest, she walked out of her mother's house to go send it.

* * *

_Dear Idiot, _Merlin read a few days later. She smiled. This was Arthur's handwriting.

_Yes, the castle's still standing tall and proud. Frankly, I'm disappointed in the lack of faith you have in us. And, yes, we're getting on fine without you; we ARE knights of Camelot, after all. As for being bored out of our minds, we're not. It's actually quite nice to not have to listen to your constant chatter all the time. _

_ Liar_, Gwaine's handwriting cut in. _Just yesterday, Merlin, he was complaining that his new servant was boring as the brass he made jokes about and that all the silence from you not being here was unnerving. And don't worry about us, we're fine! I haven't been drinking (too much…) without you, and, yes mother, little Elly, Percy, and Leon HAVE been taking care of themselves. (They are grown men, after all). As for Arthur, I feel bad for his belt…_

_ I AM NOT FAT! _ Arthur's handwriting was back. Merlin smiled and shook her head fondly. 

_Hey Merlin. I guess I'm taking over this letter now, seeing as Arthur has Gwaine in a headlock. _This was Leon's writing. _Anyways, Gauis is fine and we have remembered to help him make his rounds. Well, "help" may be an overstatement. By "help," I mean we offer to do his rounds for him, he gives us the typical "Gauis eyebrow," and then just shuffles away muttering something about the "infernal youth of today." Lately, we've just taken the vials out of his hands and delivered them ourselves. Sure, he chases after us, screaming that we don't know where to go and that we'll break them, but we're still doing it for him, aren't we?_

Merlin giggled at this point, making her mother look up from across the room. Hunith smiled when she saw her daughter reading the letter. Those boys must really care about, she thought.

_Ealdor does sound nice, better than here at least. The sun's so hot here, that by the time we're all done training, our sweat makes us look like we've just jumped out of a lake. _

_ So, your mother's putting you to work in the fields? That's horrible! (By the way, how do you 'work the fields'?) _(This here just proved Merlin's point about them being "city-raised brats.") _Wha_

At this point, there was a very large ink-blot on the page, covering half the word.

_ Hi Merlin, it's Percival writing now. Leon just got up to go break up Gwaine's and Arthur's fight. Now it seems they've teamed up against him. The ink-spot is a result of that. _

_ Oh, and while you're gone, I've taken the liberty of calling these "clotpoles,"clotpoles, in your honor, every once in a while and only when they deserve it (which is all the time). _

Merlin rolled her eyes. Under Percival's tough, silent type demeanor, he was actually quite the firecracker. 

_You're mother sounds like quite an interesting woman. Tell her we would love to meet her one day and_

Percival's writing stopped there and Merlin furrowed her brow. The handwriting next she recognized as Elyan's.

_Sorry about that. You probably know Leon had gotten up earlier to break up Arthur's and Gwaine's fight and ended up fighting himself. Now Perce is up. You can probably picture where that went… At the moment, Percival's holding Arthur and Gwaine apart by the scruffs of their necks whilst pushing Leon back with his foot. _

_ So, "a man's not a man until he wears a neckerchief"? Never heard that before; not your typical proverb, is it? Well, tell your mother we would be honored to wear one of her homemade neckerchiefs._

Merlin smiled at that. Elyan was now her new favorite. (The little kiss-ass.)

_ Try not to go too crazy out there. Enjoy your time in Ealdor._

_ Well, now I better go break up the fight so all the idiots can sign their names. We all miss you (ever if Arthur just told me he absolutely doesn't)._

_ -Elyan_

_ Percival_

_ Leon_

_ Sir Gwaine, the most handsome, clever, and best of the Knights of Camelot_

_ Arthur (You better come home soon, or I'll throw you in the stocks for leaving me with George!)_

Merlin touched the paper, her fingers going over each of her friend's names in their different handwriting in longing way. She missed her idiots.

(Though she's never admit that to Arthur.)

* * *

**A/N: Hey guys! *dodges arrows you threw at me for not updating* How've ya been?**

**So, I been with my grandparents for the past two weeks and they have no Wi-Fi! (I know, I barely survived.) Sooooooo that was why I wasn't updating and it was also the inspiration for this chapter. ('Cause I wrote home to my little brother. That's what inspired this chappie.)**

**And while I was gone, I got a lot of favs, follows, and reviews, so at this moment, I would like to personally thank you all so much! *kneels before you, forever at your service* (Wait, no, actually, do you mind if I'm not forever at your service?) **


	14. Fabulousness and Seriousness

**A/N: Hey, this one is a bit AU-ish. (You'll see why.) And I guess this is the request fulfilled for _The Lady of the Land _and _Miss Manna_ who both requested kid!Merlin with older knights. (I had fun with this one, expect more in this verse.)**

* * *

"I'm not sure what you're complaining about," Gwaine said with a shrug as he flipped back his pink ribbon-weaved hair. "I kinda like this look."

Arthur glared at the knight-in-training as little seven year old Merlin hummed in the background, brushing Leon's hair. The blonde boy (excuse me, I mean _man_; Leon was of age, eighteen) winced every time she caught a snarl in his usually well-kept hair.

"Some of us don't like being dressed up like girls, Gwaine!" the thirteen year old prince growled in an undertone, as if to not alert anyone else of their conversation. Merlin had forced Arthur to wear _lipstick_ and had put a shimmery sort-of-something on his face. Worst of all, the little girl had forced him into wearing green _eye shadow_ because she claimed "it was his color".

"You could've always said no," the fourteen year old said, rolling his eyes. Merlin had always rounded at least a few of them up to be her own personal play-things. Today, it was Gwaine, Leon, and Arthur who took the brunt of her play, pretending to be life-size dolls for the only girl that had fully won their hearts (in the totally non-romantic way! Girls were icky to ten year old Percy and eleven year old Elyan, and Arthur and Gwaine were just starting to build up crushes. Leon, however, was in a deep relationship at the moment. It was getting pretty serious. Tonight, he was going to ask his courter if he could _hold her hand_!)

"Leon's all pretty!" Merlin squealed with joy as she finished braiding a pink ribbon through his hair. The older boy sighed, and forced a smile. He got tackled by a little girl in return.

"You know I wouldn't," Arthur said to Gwaine, continuing their conversation, staring at Merlin all cuddled up in Leon's lap, her little arms thrown around his shoulders. He couldn't help but have his expression soften.

"Neither would I," Gwaine said with a sad sort of smile. "Every time I think of saying no to her, I just remember that this may never happen again, her wanting to spent time with us. I remember that she'll never think we're heroes again and that we're the coolest people she'll ever meet. If I'm really sad, I think of the day when she's not going to be a little girl anymore, when she's grown up and moved on from us and has made her own way in life. Sometimes I worry that she might forget us."

Arthur stared at his friend in shock. Gwaine was not one for sharing emotions (other than joy, happiness, or really anything cheerful) and he certainly wasn't known for his little bouts of wisdom and insight.

"Wow," was all the prince could say, thinking deeply.

"And besides," the long-haired boy said, switching back to the Gwaine everyone knew and loved. "You've got to love the make-up."

"You sound like a girl," Arthur said, shaking his head at the enigma called Gwaine.

The boy put his hands against his cheeks, looking shocked. "It's not called being a girl! It's called being fabulous!"

* * *

**A/N: Who caught the Pewdiepie reference? (I changed one word though.) **

**So, what up, what up, what up? Today I had chocolate covered bacon and it was AWESOME, aside from the strange after taste. I got it at the New York Renaissance Faire (were any of you there?!). Oh, and did you all enjoy fandom prom? I had a great time! (Yeah, taking a picture of myself in a dress, posting it, tagging my best friend in the picture. Yeah, it was awesome! Who else went?) (It was September 1st for those who did not know, on Instagram and I think tumblr.)**

**Oh, and thanks to all you guys! (125 REVIEWS, 174 FOLLOWS, AND 128 FAVORITES. AND THIS IS CHAPTER 14. I'M JUST SPEECHLESS. THANK YOU, BLESS YOU ALL YOU WONDERFUL LITTLE THINGS THAT I DON'T KNOW THE NAME OF. THANK YOU). So, yeah, erm, thanks.**

* * *

_Ring-a-ring-a-roses,  
A pocket full of poises;  
Ashes! Ashes!  
We all fall down!_

It's not everyday you see your best friend kill someone.

**(Sorry, but I must ask, would you read something that started out like this?)**


	15. He's So Cute!

"For the last time; no!"

"C'mon, prat, I really like him…and he's so cute…"

"I said _no_, Merlin. I don't care how 'cute' he is."

"Please, it'll just be for one night!"

"One night? _One night?_ Merlin, you just met him half an hour ago and you want him to spend the night?"

"He's so sweet though!"

"No. I'm not letting him anywhere near you. You are coming with and we're going to find Gwaine."

"Why Gwaine?"

"Because he'll take care of this little man of yours."

"No! Please, Arthur! He's so cute and-"

"No, Merlin! I don't want you getting attached to him when he'll just get restless and leaves! Trust me, I'm saving you the heartbreak."

"He won' t do that, he likes me too much. Please, can I let him stay?"

Arthur glared down at his maidservant, staring straight into her deep blue eyes. "Alright. Fine, you can keep the damn kitten. Just don't come crying to me when you find that he's run off."

The girl squealed and looked down at the black little cat in her arms.

* * *

**A/N: Eh, this is short. The real update will be tomorrow. Eh. *shrugs***

**Oh, and as for that last line at the end of the last chapter (you know with the best friends and killing), my friend wanted to know if that was a good start for a story she was writing and she's not on any writing websites, so she asked me to ask people for her. Yeah! Friendship! **

**And, again, thank you all soooooooo much for fav-ing, following, and reviewing! ^.^**


	16. Everything Ends

**Song-Fic.**

* * *

_You don't know what you're hiding from.  
How did life become such a sad song?_

Merlin looked out over the lake of Avalon. How long had it been since she had been here? How long had it been since she heard her king's last words?

_You don't know what you're fighting for,_

_What you came here for, feeling all alone._

She walked closer to the waters, letting the tiny waves on the shoreline wet her boots a bit as she took in the scenery. It was quite a beautiful spot. She thought Arthur would've liked to know that he died in such a pretty place.

_You have loved…_

_You have lost…_

Taking a deep breath, she walked a little into the lake, about up to her knees, and looked down, seeing her own reflection in the water. She stood, staring, until the water rippled and she could no longer see her image. Blinking quickly, she realized that her own tears falling had caused the water to stir.

_How could this be happening? _

_All alone, on your own?_

Hanging her head once more, the sorceress waded deeper into the water up to her waist. A little voice in the back of her head (that painfully sounded like Arthur) reminded her that she never learned how to swim. She ignored it, thinking only one word; _prat._

_But you shouldn't give up_

_No, you shouldn't do that._

_Never ever give up _

_No, don't ever do that._

Without so much as a breath, she plunged in, not caring about her clothes getting wet. The water was icy, cool, just like how her heart felt at the moment. She had lost so many – _too _many people that she loved. She didn't think that she would be able to love anyone again.

_Nothing is made to last_

_The sun goes up an falls so fast. _

_The clock looks still, still the hour pass_

_And all that time is never coming back._

Her lungs ached. She knew she should go up for air. But she didn't.

_Everything has an end, _

_Even the lives of family and friends._

_Everything has an end, _

_Even if it doesn't make sense._

Her lungs still ached from lack of oxygen. Her head felt light, her body numb. It was as if she could feel nothing. She smiled for the first time in a long while.

_You can't hold on to what's gone _

_Don't try and fix it, just move on._

_Only then you'll see the world_

_All brand new._

Darkness. That was all she could see, all her mind was becoming. She liked it; it was better than the constant pain in her heart. She greeted it like an old friend, embracing it as she slowly lost consciousness.

_After the sun has had its rest _

_It will arise and light up the sky_

_You can't hold on what's the past_

_Nothing is made to last…_

She was just about to completely go under enticing spell that the darkness brought when she felt something.

What felt like a pair of hands was pushing her up, forcing her to the surface. She kicked back against them and fought as she tried to stay under, but found she was too weak to even move all that much. To her dismay, the hands continued pushing her until her head broken the water.

Air stung Merlin's lungs as she sucked it in, tears and water droplets rolling down her face. So close, she had been so close this time….

Leaning back in the water so she could float, Merlin closed her eyes and breathed in some more air. When she felt strong enough, she made her way to shore and collapsed on the bank.

She should've known this would've happened if she tried this. Again.

Sitting up, she turned her eyes to the water where she saw another set looking straight into her's.

Below the water's surface, was King Arthur himself looked at her with anguish. And disapproval for what she had just tried to do. With a shake of his head and a last look at her, he disappeared, never truly being there in the first place, being stuck between Avalon and our world. Merlin hid her face.

_Everything ends…._

_Everything ends…._

_Everything ends…._

_Everything ends…._

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**A/N:...**

**...**

**...**

**What the f*ck did I just write? IDK...it's not over yet. The song's from A Very Potter Senior Year, BTW, by Team Starkid. It's called *duh* "Everything Ends."**

**So, again, thanks for reviewing, fav-ing, and following everyone!**


	17. Not Alone

_I've been alone,  
Surrounded by darkness  
And I've seen how heartless  
The world can be._

_And I've seen you crying  
You felt like it's hopeless  
I'll always do my best  
To make you see  
_

Percival looked out on the horizon, frowning. The Lake of Avalon wasn't too far away. He just hoped that he would get there in time. Again.

Merlin hadn't been herself ever since…well, _of course_, she hadn't been the same since Arthur had left them. No one had. But she was hit the hardest.

All the sympathy was going to Guinevere, considering that Arthur was her husband – only a select few (including Guinevere) had thought of Merlin. The poor girl had watched Arthur change into the king he was_ – hell_, she had changed him! Merlin had been there through everything with Arthur, and every time she lost someone close to her, Arthur had been there to comfort her.

Arthur had been her everything – her destiny, her best friend, her brother.

And the girl had watched him die.

_That, baby, you're not alone  
'Cause you're here with me  
And nothings ever gonna bring us down  
'Cause nothing can keep me from lovin' you  
And you know it's true  
It don't matter what'll come to be  
Our love is all we need to make it through _

With a sigh, Percival slid off his horse in silence. There she was again, staring out across the lake, as if waiting.

Her arms were wrapped tight around her chest, and she was trembling. Even though he couldn't see her face, Percival knew she was crying.

He approached her without a sound, but she still turned, sensing his presence. Without words, the way Percival preferred things, he stepped forwards and wrapped his arms arm her.

_Now I know it ain't easy  
But it ain't hard trying  
Every time I see you smiling  
And I feel you so close to me  
Tell me_

She was soaked to the bone, Percival realized. She must have gone into the lake again.

"Oh, Merlin," he quietly muttered. She pressed her face into his unusually unchainmail- ed shoulder.

"I'm not a man of many words, Merlin," he started slowly, unsure of how he should go about this. She shook her head, still hiding her face. "And I'm really not sure what to say….but, if you ever need to, um, talk….or anything…I might not be able to help…but…I'll listen."

Merlin shifted, and Percival found himself looking into the eyes of the young sorceress.

_That, baby, you're not alone  
'Cause youre here with me  
And nothing's ever gonna bring us down  
'Cause nothing can keep me from lovin you  
And you know it's true  
It don't matter what'll come to be  
Our love is all we need to make it through _

"I'm sorry, Percy."

Percival gave her a confused look. "For what?"

She gulped. "I know I'm not the only one who lost someone."

The large knight knew what she meant. Or who she meant.

Gwaine. The loud, rude, and crude knight. The person who could make anyone laugh. His brother in arms.

"I know you miss him," she continued as it was Percival's turn to hide his face. She wrapped her arms around his neck. "And I want you to know that I'm here for you too. And that I'll listen."

_Now, I still have trouble  
I trip and stumble  
Trying to make sense of things sometimes  
I look for reasons  
but I don't need 'em  
all I need is to look in your eyes  
and I realize _

"You know how it is." Merlin's voice was a bit raspy now, probably due to the fact that it was still stinging from her tears. "I lost the other side of my coin. So did you."

"I feel so alone without him," the large knight confessed, thinking of Gwaine and the unfairness of the world.

"So do I." She swallowed. "But I know I'm not. We're not."

"We're not what?"

Merlin rested her head against his chest. "We're not alone."

_Baby, you're not alone  
'Cause you're here with me  
And nothings ever gonna bring us down  
'Cause nothing can keep me from lovin' you  
And you know it's true  
It don't matter what'll come to be  
Our love is all we need to make it through_

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**A/N: *ground rumbles***

***Earth shakes***

***crack opens up in said ground***

***I pop out***

**I. AM. ALIVE! **

**Ugh, sorry for not updating guys, but school has started and I really don't get most of my classes so I needed time to do homework and shit. (Ugh, I have to learn the Metric system for science! I know all you non-Americans are all like "but its easy!" but I'm an American. We don't use the Metric system. I don't get it! Help...)**

**Oh, I better write something about the fanfic now, shouldn't I? (This isn't your blog, Trillion!) Okay, um...well this chapter is probably terrible. School has killed my creative juices. They should be back in next Thursday. **

**Oh, yeah, thanks you guys for reviewing/fav-ing/following! :D **

**(BTW, the song is Team Starkid's ****_Not Alone_**** from their musical ****_A Very Potter Musical)._**


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